I think it's safe to say that a great many hangers are also campers, hikers, fisherman, boaters...to name a few of the activities that we incorporate out hanging into. Or is it that we incorporate other activities into our hanging? I'm think it may be the latter, for one or two of you. Regardless whatever other activities we are participating in while hanging, or perhaps escaping from in our nests, it seems much of it is going on outside. Often heard are the claims of loving, nature, enjoying the scenery, being out there, getting away... or something along those lines.
Here comes the part some of you aren't going to like. I'm here today to challenge those claims of love of nature, and submit to you that it's actually a love of many things that are killing nature that you actually have. At this point I'd like to challenge you to keep an open mind. Or just hit the back button, and find another thread to read, perhaps something you won't perceive as a threat to your "comfort zone". If you continue reading, please keep in mind these are just words on your screen, I have not come to your house and confiscated any of your so called "property". No reason for you to feel threatened.
Materials.
Nylon. I looked at the wiki for nylon, and the manufacture process was beyond my understanding, but it makes use of all sorts of chemicals, toxins, acids and such and the result is material that doesn't recycle well,
"Various nylons break down in fire and form hazardous smoke, and toxic fumes or ash, typically containing hydrogen cyanide. Incinerating nylons to recover the high energy used to create them is usually expensive, so most nylons reach the garbage dumps, decaying very slowly[3]. Some recycling is done on nylon, usually creating pellets for reuse in the industry, but this is done at a much lower scale[4]."
As it relates to hammocks, nylon was seen as a replacement to for silk after world war 2.
Used for such things as rope, tents, ponchos... Also replacing to a large degree, natural fibers such as cotton, wool, hemp....
Note worthy here, since strength is so oft talked about, some comparisons,
Some typical tensile strengths of some materials:
Material | Yield strength | Ultimate strength | Density
| | |
| | |
Spider silk (See note below) | | 1,000 | 1.3
(See note below) | | |
| | |
Darwin´s bark spider silk | | 27,600 |
Silkworm silk | 500 | | 1.3
Nylon, type 6/6 | 45 | 75 | 1.15
Polypropylene | 12-43 | 19.7-80 | 0.91
Human hair | | 380 |
from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_tensile_strength
Polyester, sadly wasn't on this strength list, but but the manufacture is every bit as toxic as that of nylon, and then there is this bit to boot,
Couldn't find much easily/quickly on rope strength on the net but here is is one quicky from,
http://www.memphisnet.net/product/19...twisted_manila
3/8 in. Manilla Rope, This rope has a tensile strength of approximately 1,215 lbs.
that will give a 5 to one safety factor (meets OSHA standards) for a person weighing 243 lbs.
No, you can't lift your jeep off the ground, but that's not the objective, is it.
Health effects
A study published in 1993 found that polyester underwear reduced sperm count and sperm motility in male dogs.[6] Similar studies have shown similar results in humans and rats. The cause is not known but is believed to be due to an electrostatic field created by the fabric.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyest...ter_processing
Some other materials.
Silk, cotton, hemp, sisal, wool, hemp, ramie, jute, down (at least people like this one.) to name a few.
Silk has very similar look and feel to the nylon typically used for a hammock body, as well as ample strength. While I don't have any experience with it myself, I have felt it at the fabric store, and suspect it would dry out when wet rapidly, one of the often touted benefits of nylon and polyester. Clearly it possesses the required strength, again I suspect this would be so in comparable weight per yard comparisons. I'm now wondering if it could be oiled or waxed for use as a tarp, perhaps with the correct weave no treatment would be necessary.
Hemp could be used for virtually all of the components of a hammock system, body, tarp, suspension, netting, insulation... though, now considering a silk down peapod..hmmm. Possible??
Hemp has well known for it strength, rot resistance, durability, as a fiber, superior to the socially acceptable cotton (see, immature, ignorant policy).
Wool is another material that has a well proven record for strength, durability, insulative quality. An excellent choice for blankets/quilts, it will retain much of it's warmth even when wet, not true of the much more expensive down quilts, which become useless when wet.
Ok, I'm kinda loosing my train of though here, never been much of a writer.
Discuss.
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